‘I would have resigned if soldiers did not get pay hike’

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte would have stepped down if congress did not agree to increase the salary of military and police personnel.

The President said on Wednesday he would have resigned if promise to double the salary of members of the Armed Force and the Philippine National Police.

was referring noted that he can’t go on his mandate without during the 82 anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in reference to the P3.8 trillion national budget for 2018 which provides for the pay hike for security forces.

“I am not trying to be the hero here. Because I promised you, I will double your salary. I told them..I told my aide, you should prioritize what I have promised,” Duterte said during the 82 anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“I really said pag hindi niyo inilusot ‘ yan (if you can’t pull the pay hike through), I will resign as a matter of principle. They were in a quandary whether to fast track the Train [bill] or your pay hike. Bong Go, let’s have shame here. If I will be embarrassed, I will resign,” the President added, referring to Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go.

The President signed the P3.8 trillion national budget for 2018 into law on Tuesday. The law doubles private from P14,834 per month to P29,668 and hikes the monthly salary of the rest of the troops by an

“This [pay hike] is in recognition of the critical role of the military and police in maintaining national security and peace and order, as they exercise their duty to ensure the safety of our citizens being exposed to various high peril environments and life-threatening risks, in the discharge of their functions,” House Appropriations panel Chairman Nograles said.